String propelled toy airplane and control device therefor



Jan. 16, 1951 w. R. TAGGERT 2,538,132

- STRING PROPELLED TOY AIRPLANE AND CONTROL DEVICE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 20, 1945 I ll; 5 IS INVENTOR I8 Wilmer Rfrag gert BY @mfi.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRING PROPELLED TOY AIRPLANE AND CONTROL DEVICE THEREFOR Wilmer R. Taggert, Worcester, Mass.

Application August 20, 1945, Serial No. 611,552

4 Claims. (01. 46-7'7) The present invention relates to toy airplanes of the type adapted to be propelled and controlled by strings, and to an improved means for controlling such a strin propelled airplane in flight.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement whereby an operator may swing an airplane in a circle around the position of the operator in order to impart flight to the airplane, without requiring the operator to be continually turning around with the plane as it circles around his head. The invention further provides an improved control device hat may be conveniently operated while the plane is swung, so as to cause the airplane to rise or descend at will.

The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereafter more fully appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof an airplane and control means therefor embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the arrangement of the control elements on the tail of the plane.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating, on an enlarged scale, the structural details of the propelling and control handle.

Referring first to Fig. a toy airplane embodying my invention provides a fuselage or body having the usual wings 2 and 3 and a tail 4. Preferably, the airplane is of a type so balanced as to glide when projected into the air as later described. Elevators 5 are movably mounted on the tail 4 by a horizontal pivot 6 extending through a vertical rudder T which is fixed. The elevators 5 are adapted to be swung in unison about the axis of the pivot 6 by means of control arms 8 and 9 extending from one elevator 5.

For the purpose of propelling the airplane and controlling its flight, the present invention contemplates the use of a propelling and control handle, generally indicated by the reference character ll] in Fig. 1. This handle Ill provides means for the attachment of a propelling string extending from the tip of one wing 3, and flight control strings l2 and I3 extending from the elevator arms 8 and 9, respectively, through suitable guides l4 provided by the body and wing.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the handle I!) comprises a grip [5 adapted to be readily held by the hand of the operator, with the grip l5 providing a longitudinal opening l6 within which a control 2 spindle I1 is freely rotatable, While being held against axial movement by fixed collars I8. The spindle ll extends beyond the grip l5 at one end and terminates in a goose-neck IS, the free end of which provides a slot 20 for receiving a control lever 2| pivotally mounted on a pin 22.

The lever 2| is of such Width that the middle portion thereof extends beyond the slot 20 in the goose-neck l9, and. the propelling string ll from the tip of the wing 3 is attached to the lever at the middle of its outer edge, closely adjacent the pivot pin 22. Therefore, an operator holding the grip 15, as shown in Fig. 1, can propel the airplane in a generally circular course by swinging the entire handle Iii, with the string remaining taut while the airplane is in flight. By reason of the fact that the goose-neck l9 and the spindle H are turnable freely Within the grip 55, the airplane can be kept in flight without the operator shifting position and turning his body around to follow the plane, as would be necessary were the propellin string merely attached to the end of a rigid stick. This arrangement permits the airplane to be propelled at any desired speed without possibility of the operator becoming dizzy by continued turning about his position.

For the purpose of controlling the airplane in flight by operation of the elevators 5, the strings l2 and it are connected to opposite ends of the control lever 2|, as shown in Fig. 1. In order to control turning of the lever 2| about its pivot 22, a link 23 is pivotally connected at its ends to the lever 2| and to a head 24 slidably mounted on the spindle l7 between the goose-neck l9 and the upper collar l8. Movement of the head 24 along the spindle ll will swing the lever 2| about its pivot, and the position of the head 24 on the spindle i1 is controlled by a yoke 25 embracing the head and slidable in a lug 26 provided by the grip l5.

The yoke 25 provides an operating portion 21 at its lower end, this portion 2'! being of such form that it may be readily moved back and forth on the grip H: by pressure of the thumb of the operator when the grip I5 is held as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, by moving the operating portion 21 back and forth on the grip, the control lever 2| can be turned in either direction about its pivot to control the flight of the airplane by means of the strings l2 and is that are attached to the elevators 5. Thus, by turning the lever 2| in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, the string l3 can be moved to exert a pull on the upper arm 8, thereby causing the airplane to rise as the elevators 5 swing upwardly, whereas a, pull on the string l2 will swin the elevators 5 downwardly to cause the airplane to descend. Therefore, the plane is at all times under complete control of the operator, While being swung at the end of the taut propelling string l I.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided an improved string propelled toy airplane and a control device therefor, whereby the airplane can be readily propelled in flight by swinging the control handle, which permits the air plane to travel.

around the operators head without requiring the operator to shift position. When the airplane is in flight around the operator, it can be caused to rise and descend at will by simple manipulation of an operating portion readily accessible for the thumb of the operator while his hand is gripping and swinging the handle as a whole.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the flight of a string propelled airplanehaving a body, wings and tail portions with an elevator pivotally mounted on the tail, comprising in combination a handle holdable by an operator, a spindle turn-- able freely within said handle, a control member pivotall mounted at the end of said spindle and connected by cords to the end of one wing of said airplane and to said elevator on opposite sides of said pivot, a sleeve slidable on said spindle, and a connection between said sleeve and control member for turning the latter on its pivot in response to movement of the sleeve along said spindle.

2. Apparatus for controlling the flight of a string propelled airplane having a body, wings and tail portions with an elevator pivotally mounted on the tail, comprising in combination a handle holdable by an operator, a spindle turnable freely within said handle, a control member pivotally mounted at the end of said spindle,

a cord connecting the end of one wing of said airplane to the mid point of said control member adjacent its pivot, other cords extending from said elevator, above and. below its pivot, to opposite ends of said control member, a sleeve slidable on said spindle, and a connection between said sleeve and control member for turning the latter on its pivot in response to movement of the sleeve along said spindle.

3. Apparatus for controlling the flight of a string propelled airplane having a body, wings and tail portions with an elevator pivotally mounted on the tail, comprising in combination a handle holdable by an operator, a spindle turnable freely within said handle, a control member pivotally mounted at the end of said spindle, a cord extending from the end of one wing to said control member adjacent its pivot for propelling said airplane by swinging of said handle, other cords extending from opposite sides of the pivot of said elevator. to opposite ends of said control member for controlling the flight of said airplane by pivotal movement of said control member on said spindle, a sleeve slidable on said spindle and connected to said control member, and an operating portion extending from said sleeve and movable from. said handle for imparting pivotal movement to said control member while the spindle is rotating.

4. Apparatus for controlling the flight of a string propelled airplane having a body, wings and tail portions with an elevator pivotally mounted on the tail, comprising in combination a handle holdable by an operator, a spindle turnable freely within said handle, a control member pivotally mounted at the end of said spindle, a cord extending from the end of one wing to said control member adjacent its pivot for propelling said airplane by swing of said handle, a second cord extending from one side of the pivot of said elevator to one end of said control member, for causing rise of said airplane in flight, a third cord extending from the other side of said elevator pivot to the opposite end of said control member, for causing descent of said airplane in flight, a sleeve slidable on said spindle and connected to said control member, and an operating portion extending from said sleeve and movable from said handle for imparting pivotal movement to said control member while the spindle is rotating.

WILMER R. TAGGERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,065,823 Palombo et al Dec. 29, 1936 2,303,965 Walker Dec. 1, 1942 2,323,506 Willard July 6, 1943 2,395,530 Barr Feb. 26, 1946 

